Compare Virgin Islands (2004) - Holy See (Vatican City) (2005)

Compare Virgin Islands (2004) z Holy See (Vatican City) (2005)

	Virgin Islands (2004)	Holy See (Vatican City) (2005)

Administrative divisions	none (territory of the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are three islands at the second order; Saint Croix, Saint John, Saint Thomas	none
Age structure	0-14 years: 23.8% (male 13,116; female 12,770) 15-64 years: 66% (male 33,944; female 37,870) 65 years and over: 10.2% (male 4,855; female 6,220) (2004 est.)	-
Agriculture - products	fruit, vegetables, sorghum; Senepol cattle	-
Airports	2 (2003 est.)	none (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2004 est.)	-
Area	total: 352 sq km land: 349 sq km water: 3 sq km	total: 0.44 sq km land: 0.44 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	twice the size of Washington, DC	about 0.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Background	During the 17th century, the archipelago was divided into two territorial units, one English and the other Danish. Sugarcane, produced by slave labor, drove the islands' economy during the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1917, the US purchased the Danish portion, which had been in economic decline since the abolition of slavery in 1848.	Popes in their secular role ruled portions of the Italian peninsula for more than a thousand years until the mid 19th century, when many of the Papal States were seized by the newly united Kingdom of Italy. In 1870, the pope's holdings were further circumscribed when Rome itself was annexed. Disputes between a series of "prisoner" popes and Italy were resolved in 1929 by three Lateran Treaties, which established the independent state of Vatican City and granted Roman Catholicism special status in Italy. In 1984, a concordat between the Holy See and Italy modified certain of the earlier treaty provisions, including the primacy of Roman Catholicism as the Italian state religion. Present concerns of the Holy See include religious freedom, international development, the Middle East, terrorism, interreligious dialogue and reconciliation, and the application of church doctrine in an era of rapid change and globalization. About 1 billion people worldwide profess the Catholic faith.
Birth rate	14.49 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)	-
Budget	revenues: $560 expenditures: NA (2003)	revenues: $245.2 million expenditures: $260.4 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2002)
Capital	Charlotte Amalie	Vatican City
Climate	subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season May to November	temperate; mild, rainy winters (September to mid-May) with hot, dry summers (May to September)
Coastline	188 km	0 km (landlocked)
Constitution	Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954	new Fundamental Law promulgated by Pope JOHN PAUL II on 26 November 2000, effective 22 February 2001 (replaces the first Fundamental Law of 1929)
Country name	conventional long form: United States Virgin Islands conventional short form: Virgin Islands former: Danish West Indies	conventional long form: The Holy See (State of the Vatican City) conventional short form: Holy See (Vatican City) local long form: Santa Sede (Stato della Citta del Vaticano) local short form: Santa Sede (Citta del Vaticano)
Currency	US dollar (USD)	-
Death rate	6.1 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)	-
Debt - external	NA	-
Dependency status	organized, unincorporated territory of the US with policy relations between the Virgin Islands and the US under the jurisdiction of the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior	-
Diplomatic representation from the US	none (territory of the US)	chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant) embassy: Villa Domiziana, Via delle Terme Deciane 26, 00153 Rome mailing address: PSC 59, Box 66, APO AE 09624 telephone: [39] (06) 4674-3428 FAX: [39] (06) 575-8346
Diplomatic representation in the US	none (territory of the US)	chief of mission: Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Gabriel MONTALVO chancery: 3339 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 333-7121 FAX: [1] (202) 337-4036
Disputes - international	none	none
Economic aid - recipient	NA	none
Economy - overview	Tourism is the primary economic activity, accounting for 80% of GDP and employment. The islands normally host 2 million visitors a year. The manufacturing sector consists of petroleum refining, textiles, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and watch assembly. The agricultural sector is small, with most food being imported. International business and financial services are a small but growing component of the economy. One of the world's largest petroleum refineries is at Saint Croix. The islands are subject to substantial damage from storms. The government is working to improve fiscal discipline, to support construction projects in the private sector, to expand tourist facilities, to reduce crime, and to protect the environment.	This unique, noncommercial economy is supported financially by an annual contribution from Roman Catholic dioceses throughout the world (known as Peter's Pence); by the sale of postage stamps, coins, medals, and tourist mementos; by fees for admission to museums; and by the sale of publications. Investments and real estate income also account for a sizable portion of revenue. The incomes and living standards of lay workers are comparable to those of counterparts who work in the city of Rome.
Electricity - consumption	957.9 million kWh (2001)	NA kWh
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2001)	0 kWh
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2001)	NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by Italy
Electricity - production	1.03 billion kWh (2001)	NA kWh
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Crown Mountain 474 m	lowest point: unnamed location 19 m highest point: unnamed location 75 m
Environment - current issues	lack of natural freshwater resources	NA
Environment - international agreements	-	party to: none of the selected agreements signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution, Environmental Modification
Ethnic groups	black 78%, white 10%, other 12% note: West Indian 81% (49% born in the Virgin Islands and 32% born elsewhere in the West Indies), US mainland 13%, Puerto Rican 4%, other 2%	Italians, Swiss, other
Exchange rates	the US dollar is used	euros per US dollar - 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000)
Executive branch	chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001) head of government: Governor Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL (since 5 January 1999) cabinet: NA elections: US president and vice president elected on the same ticket for four-year terms; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 5 November 2002 (next to be held NA November 2006) election results: Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL reelected governor; percent of vote - Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL (Democrat) 50.5%, John de JONGH 24.4%	chief of state: Pope BENEDICT XVI (since 19 April 2005) head of government: Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo SODANO (since 1 December 1990) cabinet: Pontifical Commission appointed by the pope elections: pope elected for life by the College of Cardinals; election last held 19 April 2005 (next to be held after the death of the current pope); secretary of state appointed by the pope election results: Joseph RATZINGER elected Pope BENEDICT XVI
Exports	NA (2001)	0 kWh
Exports - commodities	refined petroleum products	-
Exports - partners	US, Puerto Rico	-
Fiscal year	1 October - 30 September	calendar year
Flag description	white, with a modified US coat of arms in the center between the large blue initials V and I; the coat of arms shows a yellow eagle holding an olive branch in one talon and three arrows in the other with a superimposed shield of vertical red and white stripes below a blue panel	two vertical bands of yellow (hoist side) and white with the crossed keys of Saint Peter and the papal miter centered in the white band
GDP	purchasing power parity - $2.5 billion (2002 est.)	-
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 1% industry: 19% services: 80% (2003 est.)	-
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $17,200 (2002 est.)	-
GDP - real growth rate	2% (2002 est.)	-
Geographic coordinates	18 20 N, 64 50 W	41 54 N, 12 27 E
Geography - note	important location along the Anegada Passage - a key shipping lane for the Panama Canal; Saint Thomas has one of the best natural deepwater harbors in the Caribbean	urban; landlocked; enclave in Rome, Italy; world's smallest state; outside the Vatican City, 13 buildings in Rome and Castel Gandolfo (the pope's summer residence) enjoy extraterritorial rights
Highways	total: 856 km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km note: the only US possession where driving on the left side of the road is practiced (2000)	none; all city streets
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports	NA (2001)	NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by Italy
Imports - commodities	crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials	-
Imports - partners	US, Puerto Rico	-
Independence	-	11 February 1929 (from Italy); note - the three treaties signed with Italy on 11 February 1929 acknowledged, among other things, the full sovereignty of the Vatican and established its territorial extent; however, the origin of the Papal States, which over the years have varied considerably in extent, may be traced back to the 8th century
Industrial production growth rate	NA	-
Industries	tourism, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum distilling, construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics	printing; production of coins, medals, postage stamps; a small amount of mosaics and staff uniforms; worldwide banking and financial activities
Infant mortality rate	total: 8.21 deaths/1,000 live births male: 9.31 deaths/1,000 live births female: 7.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)	-
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	2.2% (2003)	-
International organization participation	Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UPU	CE (observer), IAEA, ICFTU, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM (guest), OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, UN (observer), UNCTAD, UNHCR, UPU, WIPO, WToO (observer), WTO (observer)
Irrigated land	NA sq km	0 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch	US District Court of the Virgin Islands (under Third Circuit jurisdiction); Territorial Court (judges appointed by the governor for 10-year terms)	there are three tribunals responsible for civil and criminal matters within Vatican City; three other tribunals rule on issues pertaining to the Holy See note: judicial duties were established by the Motu Proprio of Pius XII on 1 May 1946
Labor force	48,900 (2003 est.)	NA
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 1%, industry 19%, services 80% (2003 est.)	essentially services with a small amount of industry; note - dignitaries, priests, nuns, guards, and 3,000 lay workers live outside the Vatican
Land boundaries	0 km	total: 3.2 km border countries: Italy 3.2 km
Land use	arable land: 11.76% permanent crops: 2.94% other: 85.29% (2001)	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (urban area) (2001)
Languages	English (official), Spanish, Creole	Italian, Latin, French, various other languages
Legal system	based on US laws	based on Code of Canon Law and revisions to it
Legislative branch	unicameral Senate (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms) elections: last held 6 November 2002 (next to be held 2 November 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 10, ICM 2, independent 3 note: the Virgin Islands elects one non-voting representative to the US House of Representatives; election last held 6 November 2002 (next to be held 2 November 2004); results - Donna M. CHRISTIAN-CHRISTENSON (Democrat) reelected	unicameral Pontifical Commission
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 78.75 years male: 74.91 years female: 82.82 years (2004 est.)	-
Literacy	definition: NA total population: NA male: NA female: NA	definition: NA total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100%
Location	Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico	Southern Europe, an enclave of Rome (Italy)
Map references	Central America and the Caribbean	Europe
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm	none (landlocked)
Merchant marine	none	-
Military - note	defense is the responsibility of the US	defense is the responsibility of Italy; ceremonial and limited security duties performed by Pontifical Swiss Guard
Military branches	-	Pontifical Swiss Guard (Corpo della Guardia Svizzera Pontificia)
National holiday	Transfer Day (from Denmark to the US), 27 March (1917)	Coronation Day of Pope BENEDICT XVI, 24 April (2005)
Nationality	noun: Virgin Islander(s) adjective: Virgin Islander	noun: none adjective: none
Natural hazards	several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and severe droughts and floods; occasional earthquakes	NA
Natural resources	sun, sand, sea, surf	none
Net migration rate	-8.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)	-
Political parties and leaders	Democratic Party [Arturo WATLINGTON]; Independent Citizens' Movement or ICM [Usie RICHARDS]; Republican Party [Gary SPRAUVE]	none
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	none (exclusive of influence exercised by church officers)
Population	108,775 (July 2004 est.)	921 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA	NA%
Population growth rate	-0.05% (2004 est.)	0.01% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors	Charlotte Amalie, Christiansted, Cruz Bay, Port Alucroix	-
Radio broadcast stations	AM 5, FM 11, shortwave 0 (2002)	AM 3, FM 4, shortwave 2 (1998)
Religions	Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%, other 7%	Roman Catholic
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2004 est.)	-
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal; note - island residents are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections	limited to cardinals less than 80 years old
Telephone system	general assessment: NA domestic: modern system with total digital switching, uses fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay international: country code - 1-340; submarine cable and satellite communications; satellite earth stations - NA	general assessment: automatic exchange domestic: tied into Italian system international: country code - 39; uses Italian system
Telephones - main lines in use	69,400 (2002)	NA
Telephones - mobile cellular	41,000 (2002)	NA
Television broadcast stations	2 (2002)	1 (1996)
Terrain	mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land	low hill
Total fertility rate	2.21 children born/woman (2004 est.)	-
Unemployment rate	9.3% (2003 est.)	-

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